Erdogan has repeatedly pledged to scrap the deal his country has with Brussels, which allows for the return of all economic migrants from Greece, unless work on granting visa-free travel for his 80million citizens is granted.

A look back on the shocking Turkish military coup that left 294 dead

Wed, July 27, 2016

The violent military coup to overthrow Turkey's President Erdogan has 'failed' leaving at least 104 dead and more than 1,500 wounded

A police officer talks with the soldiers involved in the coup attempt after they surrendered

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President Erdogan has pledged to reintroduce the death penalty in the wake of the failed military co

The deal has been blighted by snags because Turkey, which is fighting a civil war against Kurdish freedom fighters, is not prepared to soften its stringent anti-terror laws which Brussels says curbs basic human rights.

As part of the agreement, reached earlier this year, the EU insisted Ankara must meet 72 basic conditions in order to win visa-free access for its 80 million citizens to the Schengen zone.

But Turkey has recently begun a blackmail campaign to attempt to steamroll through the measure without keeping to its end of the bargain.